The sex-scandal script used to be so straightforward for American politicians. Unless you are Bill Clinton, who could talk his way out of anything, or Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, who believed he had "received forgiveness from God" after his name was found in the black book of the "D.C. Madam," the scandal script usually goes something like this:

e is the political phoenix who has revived his career post-scandal, winning a congressional seat in South Carolina's first district Tuesday, handily beating his opponent, a Democrat. And in doing so he has come a long way since 2009, when Sanford became an object of national ridicule almost overnight.

He was the married governor who said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail (how athletic!) when he was really holed up with his Argentinian mistress south of the border. When Sanford returned stateside in June 2009 to hold a news conference, he cried, he rambled, he blubbered his way through an apology. And he was frank:

"I have been unfaithful to my wife. I developed a relationship with a — what started out as a dear, dear friend from Argentina. It began very innocently, as I suspect many of these things do, in just a casual e-mail back and forth, in advice on one's life there and advice here."

That woman is Maria Belen Chapur, who has been elevated from her status as mistress to, now, fiancée. With a new marriage on the horizon and a new job in the bag, things are looking up for this political Lothario.

So what is it about this moment that has allowed Sanford to break the mold of his scandal-tainted peers?

Hypothesis 1: South Carolina voters have become more European, i.e. "forgiving" of their elites. They've relaxed the sex-prohibitive, Puritan roots that are a part of our national DNA. Sex scandals in Europe are consistently saucier than the philandering that happens on our side of the pond. Need some examples?

In 2010, the wife of Northern Ireland's first minister admitted to an affair with a 19-year-old she had known since he was a boy. Naughty.

And then there's Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister who is battling charges that he had sex with a minor. Criminal.

Sweet story?

By comparison, Sanford's heterosexual story of finding and keeping love — mid-age — is downright sweet, unless of course you're Jenny Sanford. So, perhaps the voters adjusted their standards when it comes to love and marriage, as long as Sanford maintains the pretense of commitment with Maria Belen Chapur.

Which takes us to Hypothesis 2: Voters reward transparency. (Or at least the perception of transparency.) True, Sanford initially lied. But that was way back in 2009. And he quickly revealed the extramarital affair once his story couldn't hold up to scrutiny. Sanford hasn't made excuses for himself. It helps, too, that he mentions God a lot.

And then there's Hypothesis 4: Our social media behavior has affected our political behavior. We've grown accustomed to oversharing via our preferred social media channels. In fact, if someone doesn't lay bare his or her anecdotal embarrassments or musings with an indulgent status update, then one seems guarded, dull and too self-protective. Mark Sanford comes across as none of the above. He's your Facebook friend that posts frequently and energetically, even if you may roll your eyes at what he says.

Like.

Familiarity may breed contempt everywhere else. But in South Carolina politics, it breeds a second chance.